Plans for a housing development at Llanbedrog, Pwllheli, have been turned down by planners amid affordable homes and access issues.

Outline proposals to erect five dwellings to include two, two- storey four-bedroom houses, one, two-storey three bedroom house, and two single-storey houses were rejected by the council’s planning committee on Monday, 7 November.

The application, submitted by Mrs Gwen Williams, of Criccieth, (Aberwen Ltd) through agent Mr Huw Elwyn Hughes, of Cynad Ltd, relate to land adjacent to ‘Dolwar’ on Ffordd Pedrog, Llanbedrog. The empty field was purchased in 1988 as part of the Dolwar property sale.

The scheme proposed two four-bedroom family houses with a garden, parking for two cars and paved areas, a three-bedroom house in the corner with parking for two cars, a garden and paved areas. They also included two dormer bungalows with two bedrooms designed to “accommodate the affordable market”. These would also have two bedrooms, parking for two cars and a garden.

The site also noted a mature oak tree at the corner of the site, and described a tree and root protection plan.

The site entrance was to be through a new area purchased by the owner, giving “the estate a two-way system for entry and exit”. The planning application claimed: “It is also agreed that the road through Cae Hendy can be used to enter or exit the site.”

A turning round circle was mooted at the end of the estate cul-de-sac.

However, planning officers recommended refusal, as Llanbedrog had “already seen its expected level of growth”, a planning officer explained, “as a result, such an application requires justification, on how it would meet the needs of the local community”.

Under housing policy, as a ‘coastal village,’ open market housing was “not acceptable” – only “affordable market housing could be supported,” she said.

Planners had received “no evidence” how the homes would meet local need, the meeting heard.

Although two bungalows were described as “affordable, no information regarding valuation had been supplied” over whether the two units, would be “truly affordable to the local community,” the officer said.

Access to the homes proposed using two roads, both described as narrow, one off Pedrog Road, the other off the Cae Hendy estate. The roads are considered “not wide enough” for two vehicles to pass and provide footpath access the meeting was told.

There were no details on how pedestrians would safely access the site, or how a one-way system would operate. Access did not meet safety criteria.

Parking and access arrangements could have had a “significant impact” on local residents, in terms of disruption and noise,” the planning officer said.

The community council had also objected in terms of “unsuitability of access”.

A language impact statement had not been received, and the proposal had failed to meet policy.

Cllr Gruff Williams proposed refusing the application, seconded by Cllr Huw Wyn Jones, and a vote to refuse was carried, unanimously with 13 votes.